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Final Exam: Aug 2, 11:30-2:30PM. Lecture 9: The Scientific Revolution. Galileo and Bacon. Renaissance or the Early Modern Period. Humanism – valorization of the individual and the power of reason Protestant Reformation – challenge to all-encompassing power of the old church - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Final Exam: Aug 2, 11:30-2:30PM
Lecture 9: The Scientific
RevolutionGalileo and Bacon
Renaissance or the Early Modern PeriodHumanism – valorization of the individual and the
power of reasonProtestant Reformation – challenge to all-
encompassing power of the old churchFrom unity to multiplicity – local identifications
precede idea of universal ChristendomStruggle between secular and religious authority –
lays groundwork for separation of church and state
Rejection of superstition and the Scientific Revolution
The Scientific RevolutionTransition from Renaissance into
Enlightenment Enlightenment = “Age of Reason”
1534: Copernicus’s On the Revolution of the
Heavenly Spheres Vesalius’s On the Fabric of the Human
Body
Fundamental changes in the ways that European society viewed the world: Heliocentrism Rejection of Aristotelian Theories Principle of Inertia Discovery of the circulatory system The Scientific Method
Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642) “father of modern science” Born in Pisa; studied mathematics at U of
Pisa 1616 – theories of tides 1616 – Galileo to Rome to defend
heliocentrism 1632 – Dialogue Concerning the Two
Chief World Systems
1633 – Galileo’s trial in Rome Guilty of heresy Lifelong house arrest All writings banned Forced to recant
1642 – death by fever and heart problems
Who was Christina?Grand Duchess Christina =
granddaughter of Catherine and Ferdinand de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Responding to the Duchess’s questions about heliocentrism
Letter used as evidence against Galileo during Inquisition
Two major ideas:Faith vs ReasonNature vs the Bible literal vs figurative interpretation
Letter to the Grand DuchessAcknowledges hostility against himself (90: 175)Reliance on St. Augustine (90: 175)“I hold the sun to be situated motionless in the
center of the revolution of the celestial orbs hwile the earth rotates on its axis and revolves about the sun. They know also that I support this position not only by refuting the arguments of Ptolemy and Aristotle, but by producing many counterarguments; in particular, some which relate to physical effects whose causes can perhaps be assigned in no other way” (91: 177)
Only evidence held against him = Biblical (91: 177)
Copernicus vs GalileoCopernicus said these things before me! (92: 178)Dismissing argument without even
reading it (97: 179)
How far does the bible’s authority go? “purely physical matters” vs
matters of faith (92: 179)
Who determines proper interpretation? “[Copernicus] did not ignore the Bible, but he knew very
well that if his doctrine were proved, then it could not contradict the Scripture when they were rightly understood” (92-93: 179-180, italics mine)
Figurative vs LiteralBible cannot tell an untruth (93: 181)But there is a difference between
literal and figurative truth!
Is it literally true that God has body parts? “From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him
reached his ears… He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet… and then the Most High uttered his voice,… at the blast of the breath of his nostrils” (Psalm 18)
Why does the bible seem literal?
Bible vs NatureBible seems literally true because it has to make itself
understandable to the masses (94: 182)Astronomy and physics are not necessary to salvation
“the intention of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how one goes to heaven, not how heaven goes” (96: 156)
God is the source of both the Bible and NatureBook of Nature is thus equal to Book of Revelation
God gives the gifts of revelation, reason and Nature! (94: 183)
Stop using biblical interpretation for selfish reasons! (97: 189)
Theology and ScienceTheology = Queen of the Sciences (99: 192)
Because it is more authoritative?Because it’s subject is more excellent and spiritual?
If something has been physically proven true, then theologians must work to reconcile scripture with physical observation (102: 199)
You make Christianity look stupid if you hold to truths that are clearly not physically true (107: 208)
Of the pope: “it is not in the power of any created being to make things true or false, for this belongs to their own nature and to the fact” (108: 210)
Galileo's Major Arguments:Nature and the bible both come from GodReason is just as much a gift as revelationThere must be two modes of interpretation: figurative
and literalConsequences:Scientific observation is just as legitimate access to God
as scriptureScience and theology are necessarily intertwinedIndividual reason must be respected as much as priestly
authorityThere must be established, reasonable interpretations
Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626)Born in London; educated at
Cambridge; became a lawyer1584 – entered Parliament1603 – knighted by James I1618 – becomes Lord
Chancellor1620 – The Great Instauration
1621 – stripped of his office, fined, and imprisoned for taking bribes
1626 – death by pneumonia
The New MethodNovum Organum – book 2 of The Great Instauration
Aphorisms = concise statement of a scientific principle#9 – mind is powerful but we use the wrong methods for
thinking#18-19:
BAD – trying to make assumptions about the nature of the world based on a few observations and then making the rest of your observations fit into those assumptions
GOOD – the scientific method!
“Whle the former just cursorily skims experience and particulars, the other engages properly and methodically with them; the former, again, sets up certain abstract and useless generalities from the beginning, the other rises us gradually to those things that are more general in Nature” (#22)
The First Two Idols
#37 – radical skeptic vs scientific methodIdols of the Tribe (#41)
Because we are human,we can never see objectively (#45)Emotions and desire corrupt knowledge (#47-49)We rely too much on senses and assumptions; not enough
on experimentation and critical thinking (#50-51)
Idols of the CaveSpecifically, individuals have their own unique prejudices
that blind them to truth (#53)
The Last Two IdolsIdols of the Market-Place
Instability of language corrupts transmission of knowledge (#59)
Idols of the TheatreWe allow flashy
demonstrations to distract use into believing what is not true (#61)
Galileo & BaconHealthy skepticism
Galileo – do not pretend to know you know the extent of Nature
Bacon – the mind is great but easily mislead by its very nature
Dependence on physical observation Galileo – God has given the gift of reason and Nature Bacon – rigorous experimentation!
Theology and Science Galileo – Theology and science must be mutually dependent Bacon – “give to faith only that which is faith’s” (#65)
Reminders!TOMORROW – 2:30 – 4:30 @ Galbraith Hall 174Final Exam – Friday11:30 to 2:30
Bring blue books, writing utensils